As communication technology has advanced, there have become greater demands on communication bandwidth for information transfer. For example, some broadband data transfer can occur at rates in excess of 40 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps). However, such high rates of data transfer can be expensive for dedicated bandwidth (e.g., leased lines) over the existing telecommunications infrastructure. Accordingly, alternative, more cost effective forms of wireless communications are often considered in designing a given communications system.
One example of a communication system capable of high data rate information transfer is a communications system. Laser communications typically require a distributed amplifier to drive an optical data modulator for transmission. Due to the extremely broad bandwidth of laser communications, the distributed amplifier can be chosen to operate over a very broad radio-frequency (RF) bandwidth. A DC-bias network provides a requisite DC-bias signal to the distributed amplifier. However, to maintain the broad RF bandwidth requirement of the distributed amplifier, the given DC-bias network is typically impedance matched with the output of the distributed amplifier. For example, if the DC-bias network is not properly matched with the output of the distributed amplifier, the RF signal output from the distributed amplifier might be reflected back into the distributed amplifier, thus causing signal interference and effectively reducing the operating bandwidth of the distributed amplifier.
A typical approach for matching the impedance of the distributed amplifier output to the DC-bias network is to provide the DC-bias signal through a conical inductor. The conical inductor is typically mounted at an angle (e.g., 45°) relative to the plane of the distributed amplifier (i.e., above the distributed amplifier) to reduce capacitance associated with the inductor relative to the substrate upon which the amplifier is formed. By mounting the conical inductor at an angle above the distributed amplifier, the conical inductor can provide a very broadband impedance matching relative to the output of the distributed amplifier. However, a conical inductor mounted at an angle relative to the plane of the distributed amplifier is a fragile configuration. As broadband communication becomes more prevalent in society, communication systems are more commonly mounted in satellites that are launched into space. The physical stress caused by a spacecraft launch on devices mounted on the satellite is very severe, and as such, delicate communication components are unlikely to withstand the launch.